Highways that change direction midway through

[Kacie Jane]

The most unusual example of a route that doesn't change direction would have to be WA-548.  It's essentially perfectly L-shaped, with the east-west leg slightly shorter than the north-south one.  Yet the entire thing is signed north/south.

What makes this particularly unusual is that Washington almost always follows the north/south = odd, east/west = even rule, so this is a rare exception, on a route that could just as easily be signed east/west, or both.

[cpzilliacus]

Md. 4 is signed N-S along its entire length, even though its southernmost section in St. Mary's County runs from west to east; and the northernmost segment in Prince George's County near the District of Columbia border runs from east to west.

Md. 32 is signed E-W between I-97 at Millersville, Anne Arundel County and  Md. 108 at Clarksville, Howard County; and N-S between Clarksville and Westminster, Carroll County.

U.S. 340 is signed N-S in Virginia and West Virginia, and E-W in Maryland.

[kphoger]

How does US-101 do it as it does a big ol' U turn across Washington state?

[Kacie Jane]

It's signed east/west approximately between SR 113 in Sappho and SR 20 near Discovery Bay, and north/south on either side -- or I suppose one side is north/south and the other is south/north.

The boundaries aren't necessarily set in stone, though.  There are a handful of N/S banners along the E/W portion, and the BGS at the end of SR 20 directs you "north" toward Port Angeles.  (But if you turn "north" from there onto 101, the first reassurance marker is bannered "west"._

[vtk]

Another in Michigan is M-5 in Farmington Hills and Novi, which has signs that read "M-5 West becomes M-5 North", and "M-5 South becomes M-5 East".

They have similar signage on I-69, don't they?  How about the other M routes that change direction: is the change explicitly signed on the mainline?

[ap70621]

NY 17 is N-S from the New Jersey border to Harriman, then E-W the rest of the way on the Quickway & Southern Tier Expressway. Also NY 94 is signed mostly E-W, but near Chester, NY it is signed N-S.

[hbelkins]

They have similar signage on I-69, don't they? 

They didn't when I was there a few years ago. Think someone said it had been taken down. What's funny is that the co-signed portion with I-96 has HUGE I-96 signs but very small I-69 signs.

[JREwing78]

They have similar signage on I-69, don't they?

They didn't when I was there a few years ago. Think someone said it had been taken down. What's funny is that the co-signed portion with I-96 has HUGE I-96 signs but very small I-69 signs.

They used to have signage indicating the change in cardinal direction, but those have since been retired. The northern loop around Lansing was merely US-27 since the mid-80's when it was built. It took until the mid-90's for the remainder to be built to complete the bypass around East Lansing, and for I-69 to be routed over it. I-69 until then was routed as a "temporary" route east on I-96, then north on US-127 to Saginaw Hwy (the former M-78).

The smaller I-69 signage is typical in Michigan on freeways; the primary through route gets the full-size sign while the other routes get smaller signs. Not sure how I-96 became the "primary" route though, other than it was there first.

Of course, the locals don't consider the short section of I-496 east (south) of Trowbridge Rd to be I-496; it's always called US-127. The locals only call the E-W portion through downtown I-496. It makes sense.

How about the other M routes that change direction: is the change explicitly signed on the mainline?

It doesn't happen frequently. I haven't been that way in years, but I don't think M-123 even has signed cardinal directions on the stretch between Newberry and Tahquamenon Falls. Routes like M-64 and M-43 pick one or the other (M-64 is N-S, M-43 is E-W).

M-25 is signed E-W between Port Austin and Bay City, N-S between Port Austin and Port Huron. No big signs announcing the change; you simply notice at the junction with M-53 that the cardinal direction changes.

[InterstateNG]

M-22 also lacks cardinal directions.

[PurdueBill]

US 33 and US 35 both leave Ohio posted as westbound and enters Indiana posted as northbound.  Both are diagonal routes that would have carried N-West and S-East banners before Ohio gave up on those.

US 52 goes through being posted N-S and W-E in different states, although I can't recall it changing inside a state (vs. at a state line).  Ohio manages to post it E-W like its even number would suggest, but NC-VA-WV all post it N-S.

All three are basically diagonal routes, though, not something along the lines of I-69 that actually drastically changes direction physically.

[Takumi]

I think Indiana is the only state that signs US 33 north-south.

[WillWeaverRVA]

I think Indiana is the only state that signs US 33 north-south.

Correct. To go along with this, US 250 is signed north-south only in West Virginia. It is signed east-west in Ohio and Virginia.

[Takumi]

According to this image from the shield gallery, VA 10 was once signed north-south in Suffolk.

[Mark68]

SR 30 in Denver/Aurora. Starts at jct I-25 & US 285 S (which actually goes W thru the south Denver area), goes E on Hampden Ave, curves north on Havana St, makes a right turn (east) on 6th Ave, then makes a long, sweeping curve (east of Buckley AFB) toward southbound Gun Club Rd, where it ends at the corner of Gun Club & Quincy Ave (just east of E-470).

[PHLBOS]

RI 138 from the CT-RI border to just east of the Newport Bridge is an east-west route but from Newport to the RI-MA border, it's a north-south route.

The most unusual example of a route that doesn't change direction would have to be WA-548.  It's essentially perfectly L-shaped, with the east-west leg slightly shorter than the north-south one.  Yet the entire thing is signed north/south.

Similar could be stated for MA 28.  It's mostly a north-south road from the MA-NH border to Falmouth (Cape Cod area); from there it runs east-west to its terminus in Orleans but it is STILL signed as a north-south route.

[OCGuy81]

Doesn't US 41 become labeled as an East/West route once it turns towards Miami?

[mgk920]

Doesn't US 41 become labeled as an East/West route once it turns towards Miami?

Yes, I believe that the 'flip' is in Fort Myers, FL.

Mike

[Alps]

Doesn't US 41 become labeled as an East/West route once it turns towards Miami?

Yes, I believe that the 'flip' is in Fort Myers, FL.

Mike

Actually, it occurs at the Miami/Dade County line. Source: Having been through there.

[sandiaman]

OK 3,  one  of the longest  state  highways  in the US,  cuts  through the state  diagonally.  It  starts E-W  from  the Arkansas  border  and  goes  N-S    when it  finally  reaches  the Colorado  border.

[Takumi]

VA 296 and VA 298 are both L-shaped routes in the town of West Point. 298 goes south from VA 33, makes a now-unposted west turn (which had cutouts until spring 2008) and dead ends. 296, a couple blocks west, goes south from VA 30-33 and turns east to end at 298. Neither is posted with any directional banners.

[florida]

FL 436 changes from E-W to N-S in the Casselberry/Winter Park area.
FL 100 is co-signed with US 129, as N-S, from Jasper to the Georgia Line. From Lake City to Flagler Beach, it's E-W.
FL 423 changes direction at US 441 in Orlando.
FL 20 is signed South in High Springs.
FL 25 in Belleview is signed N-S as a State Road (from US 27/301/441 to Baseline Rd), but E-W as a County Road (from Baseline Road through Ocklawaha to somewhere east of there), then N-S again as a County Road (from Weirsdale or somewhere just north of there to US 27/441 in Lady Lake). 

[NE2]

FL 100 is co-signed with US 129, as N-S, from Jasper to the Georgia Line. From Lake City to Flagler Beach, it's E-W.

I didn't think SR 100 was signed northwest of Lake City.

[roadman65]

FL 100 is co-signed with US 129, as N-S, from Jasper to the Georgia Line. From Lake City to Flagler Beach, it's E-W.

I didn't think SR 100 was signed northwest of Lake City.

Check out alpsroads.net you will see an assembly located just north of the US 41/ US 129 split in Jasper, FL on his US 129 page.  There was one (I do not know if it still there now) just south of the FL/ GA State Line on US 129 showing it SOUTH.

[roadman65]

NY 7 is signed N-S west of Binghampton, NY.
US 4 is signed completely N-S in New York as it is E-W in VT and NH.
FL 434 is E-W from its terminus at FL 424 to the Seminole/ Orange Border near Oviedo, FL, then N-S from the Seminole County Line on the Alafaya Trail to its other terminus at FL 50 near UCF.
FL 826 is signed N-S along the part of the Palmetto Expressway that runs N-S, and E-W where it runs E-W along with the surface street portion east of I-95.  It changes where the freeway makes a 90 degree turn north of Hialeah. 

[NE2]

FL 100 is co-signed with US 129, as N-S, from Jasper to the Georgia Line. From Lake City to Flagler Beach, it's E-W.

I didn't think SR 100 was signed northwest of Lake City.

Check out alpsroads.net you will see an assembly located just north of the US 41/ US 129 split in Jasper, FL on his US 129 page.  There was one (I do not know if it still there now) just south of the FL/ GA State Line on US 129 showing it SOUTH.

Ah, an error.